James Blake - James Blake

James Blake - James Blake
Scheduled Release Date: 7th February 2011 ATLAS

James Blake has been low under the radar since a good half of 2009, where he debuted his 12" individual track "Air & Lack Thereof". Blake was noticed by BBC1 DJ Gilles Peterson, who praised his talents and asked him to do a special mix on his show. 2010 had a slow start to recognizing the addictive but quiet sounds of James Blake, with the release of him second record "CMYK" which did recieve alot of attention, thus starting the first true steps of the United Kingdom realizing just who this James Blake character was, and why he was causing such an explosion upon the electronic music scene. Enter 2011, The world finally saw James Blake's first official debut release self-entitled "James Blake".
 The record begins with "Unluck", sharp clicks and scratches accompany the harmonics, but not as harsh as a record scratch. Then Jame's unique and soulful voice comes in, overflowing with vocal effects. The track suddenly jumps and the clicks are frequent, the harmonics create a small crescendo then fall back to the original harmony. This track isn't the best opener, but it still shows Jame's exceptional use of effects and electronics. The unfittingly titled "The Wilhelm Scream", which unfortunately doesn't contain the famous Wilhelm Scream, is a gorgeous soundscape of chilling vocals and shapes of soft noise floating around the gentle beat. The way Blake sings "I don't know about my love" compliments the drifting harmony beautifully, this track is definately one of the main highlights of the album.
  "Lindesfarne I" is just James Blake's heavily reduced vocals, almost sounding robotic. The track flows into  "Lindesfarne II" in which the electronic sounds join Jame's vocals, working into a slow and noiseless track, although the whole record is one to lie back and relax to, this is an exceptional piece to fall soundly asleep to.
 The next track is the piano led "Limit To Your Love", featuring some of Blake's best executed vocals on the record. The track starts off with a repeated piano piece and vocals, then everything fades and a slow beat is introduced, in an almost dubstep like fashion, but this record is far from dubstep. Alot of people will have a problem with the same things happening constantly, and I have to agree to an extent, although the record is one to put on in the background, or to just unwind to, so I can't really see a problem with the repititiveness of this record, but that all changes with "To Care (Like You)". This track opens up with high pitched vocals over Jame's regular vocals. Then the beat comes in and the album reaches it's most dub-like part, not to say this is a bad thing. The beat is furious but soft at the same time, it's almost likea bird flapping it's wings, with overlapped "oh's" placed around the beat. The track seems like it shouldn't work, but it does, and it really does hit home with parts that seem to have derived from Four Tet's "There Is Love In You".
 Upon first listen to "I Mind" I noticed it was the first proper upbeat track of the record, with it's fresh beats and vocal harmonies, the track does it's job in waking you up from your gentle journey into a cloud of soft electronic music, whereas the layered chorus of "Measurements" sends you right back in there with the softest landing.
 "James Blake" is a record that is slow and transparent. The cover is true to it's image, as if you are moving slowly but everything is blurred. It will put you in a trance of warmth and tranquility, but whilst you are still wide awake and can suddenly feel that it is still music and not just the voice of your subconscience telling you to sleep and rest forever, although you really really want to.
9/10

Thomas Eccles

Thomas Giles - Pulse

Thomas Giles - Pulse
Scheduled Relase Date: February 1st 2011 Metal Blade Records

Between The Buried And Me's versatile vocalist Tommy Rogers adapts the alias Thomas Giles for his well crafted debut solo album, "Pulse". The interesting thing about this album upon first listen is that no two tracks sound similiar, everything has been taken into account and mixed with a broad range of styles and structures that assemble into some intriguing ideas that Giles seems to pull off rather exceptionallyin parts but completely fails in others.
 Take first track "Sleep Shake", in which any BTBAM fan will notice that it sounds nothing at all like anything BTBAM has done before. The track has a huge progressive rock feel to it and with Tommy's fantastic vocal delivery it is a sure winner for old and new fans to understand that this man can do alot more than just scream and shout. I'd also like to add that there are no additional artists in the whole of this album, Thomas Giles plays everything you can hear.
  Then the album is turned on it's head as melancholy piano keys and soft vocals are introduced with "Mr. Bird", Gile's take on a slow, sorrowful ballad that tries to hit the emotional mark, but doesn't quite get it right with it's unfitting echoes and multiple harmonic vocals, it seems like it tries too hard to be something that it isn't, due to it being on such a diverse album. The next song blew me away in a sense that i'm still not sure about. It's hard to describe but I guess my own description would be a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Eurodance. "Catch & Release" isn't to be taken lightly with it's harsh screams mixed behind techno synths and rhythms. What on earth was going on in Thomas Gile's head when he was thinking about the creation of this monstrosity, easily one of the worst tracks on the album. The next two songs "Hamilton Anxiety Scale" and "Scared" go hand in hand with the build up of high powered guitar riffs and frequent drumming until the track flows gently into the second ballad of the album, starting off as Bon Iver, Giles quickly makes note of his flowing voice and puts it to great use on this exceptional acoustic track, the better half of the slow songs on "Pulse".
 From here, the album takes a u-turn into unknown territory, as "Reject Falicon" opens with quiet guitar notes with layered effects, it almost sounds like the opening for an Explosions In The Sky record. The track continues this motion until yet again we are greeted with an industrial beat, behind Gile's singing "So beautiful..." low piano keys are played through a frenzy of beats, this track doesn't really go anywhere, it keeps the same pace and is a real filler for the album. The next track will be pleasing to those awaiting the hard hitting riffs and the progressive nature of the music. "Medic" wouldn't go amiss on one of BTBAM's early catalogue of releases. Unfortunately, the track ends before you can even get your head around the fact you're hearing something you expected to hear from the get go.
 The final tracks are what you were expecting all diverse and unique products of Gile's conscience...but the problem arises again, that the tracks are good, no doubt, but they feel empty and forced as if they are desperate for you to enjoy every single aspect of the album. I feel as if Thomas Giles made this record so diverse and broad, that there would at least be something for everyone, though it seems he forgot that everyone doesn't like everything.
  This record is a rollercoaster of various twists and turns that you can't help but feel that you're music player is on shuffle, and after the first 4 seperate songs you enjoyed, you still feel obliged to press the skip button...
6.5/10

Thomas Eccles

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
Scheduled Relase Date: 18th February 2011 Self Relased

Radiohead are quite the curious bunch. After releasing the pay-what-you-like album In Rainbows, they slowly faded into the background, whilst once in a blue moon, releasing small sparks and teasers at what the band had been up to, with the Bends-esque "These Are  My Twisted Words" and the mournful ballad of "Harry Patch", followers were keeping a keen eye on these intriguing happenings. About a year later, out of absolutely nowhere, the band popped up to explain that their newest album "The Kings Of Limbs", was finished and would be released within a week. I don't think i'm alone when I say, it was one of the longest weeks of my existence. After what felt like years, the record was available to those who had purchased it, through a download link. So, now i've explained the slightly chaotic backstory, let's get on with the album itself.
 Upon my first listen, one thing seemed to stick out like a sore thumb; this record was very short, clocking in with 8 tracks that equalled just over 30 minutes. The album went in and out before I could even comprehend what I had just listened to. If i'm going to say anything, I will say this: this record needs more than one listen, maybe even three at the most, before you can even start criticizing. I admit, tracks such as "Morning Mr. Magpie", "Lotus Flower" and "Codex" caught my ears upon my first several listens, they had all the ingredients of a Radiohead anthem: Thom's swooning falsetto, hypnotic but simple drum loops and slow, drearing sounds as found on the digital heavy Kid A and Amnesiac.
  But then there were the apparant cacophonies of "Bloom" and the glitchy noise-fest "Feral" which made me think of the ethereal sounds of Burial and Flying Lotus. This record really has a hard time in deciding what it wants to be. There are very few efforts of Jonny's guitar or even Colin's smooth but simple basslines, although "Morning Mr. Magpie" has such a great repititive line that sticks in your head and stays there. After several listens, I started to actually dive into individual tracks. I noticed the sheer intricate details of percussion in "Bloom", the sounds almost feels like you're riding in a train carriage, with the slow bumps and bangs against the tracks. I noticed behind the shaky sounds of "Feral" laid over the sweet undecipherable whispers of Thom and the atmospheric soundscapes that create the image of a surburban rush hour. I noticed the remarkable use of the trombone about halfway through "Codex", as if the track wasn't already a magnificient piece of music, the track puts you in a state of sleep, almost as if comatose. As I say, the album isn't without it's faults. "Little By Little" and "Give Up The Ghost" are mediocre at best in addition to the higher points in the album.
   The King Of Limbs is a maze of a record, but once you're able to navigate it, you'll be sure to understand the hidden beauty within, even if it is Radiohead's most non-Radiohead release, it still sits atop the throne as one of the most innovative and brave albums of this year.
9/10

Thomas Eccles

Red Fang - Murder The Mountains

Red Fang – Murder The Mountains

Scheduled Release Date: 12^th  April 2011 on Relapse Records

I’m quite a fan of Red Fang so I’m just going to dive right into this. Red Fang have matured and boy is it impressive. Murder The Mountains is their second album after the great success that was their debut, and you can tell straight away the sound has grown. Don’t in any way take that as something to be apprehensive about.

They start off quite shakily with this album with “Malverde” and I'm not going to lie, I was worried. It seemed lackluster and dull. But that dives right out the window as soon as the phenomenal “Wires” kicks in. This is definitely the best song on the album and possibly the best song they’ve done. It has fantastic groove to it and brilliant sounding vocals bursting through the mix with a great melody to drag you into a really nice, dark song. The mid section is a dark and entrancing part and it really hits you how much this band has grown as soon as that starts. And it doesn’t stop there. The newly revived “Hank is Dead” is next up and that comes bursting through with just as much groove, and sounds fantastic. This breathes new life into the song that got them out there and brings it back really nicely with a smooth, nice melody.

Then in bursts “Dirt Wizard” with one simple aim: to completely kick your ass. This is a very heavy, groovy, meaty song that bursts in straight away and hits you in the face with a simple groovy riff and harsh vocals that would scare away a prehistoric dog (har har.) “Throw Up” follows next with a really slow, dirty heavy sound and those harsh vocals again. Listening to this song you can really hear an influence from The Melvins with nice dirty, groovy riffs and decent melodies coming out in between too.  It suddenly speeds up halfway through too and really changes the whole mood of the song and really hits that Melvins sound here too. It’s like it was direct from The Melvins themselves with this track.

“Painted Parade” is next up and bursts right in with powerful drumming and fast riffing and vocals that almost remind me of The Offspring. This is a very good song though and very groovy despite its speed. It bursts through its short length and into “Number Thirteen.” This is groove at its finest, the bass line beating through alongside the drums and the lead guitar adding some nice melody to it. The vocals continue to excel on this track and weave wonderfully with the riffing to create a great mix. “Into The Eye” is another song that powers out of the blocks with heavy riffs and harsh vocals.  This use of harsh and melodic vocals differing between songs breaks up the flow nicely and forces you to listen to this very closely and take it all in, and its really good.

“The Undertow” is a wonderfully powerful track and comes slowly grooving in with a really nice bass line and uses quite melancholic vocals to add a very dark mood to this track.  The final track is “Human Herd” and is very groovy and dark and a great way to close the album with a real sense of maturity to it. The melodic vocals weave with the riffs wonderfully and it sounds fantastic.

            Red Fang are a band that had a lot of potential to them, and they have continued to grow from it and so far have not disappointed. This album gets off to a shaky start but after that it grooves right through and never loses its grip on you. This is another fantastic Red Fang album that will help this band hopefully reach new heights again, and continue to breathe their fresh air into a still very alive genre.

8/10


Bryan Shuttleworth